Scientology: Abuse at the Top

A former top insider reveals the nightmare world of violence and abuse at the highest levels of the Church of Scientology. One review states: "At home alone, a 14 year old girl takes a phone call from Scientology. This starts a quarter of a century journey of manipulation, betrayal and sexual, physical and mental abuse. This journey leads to the highest management echelon and one woman's courage to break free. A real page-turner." Mark P. Another writes: "Amy Scobee has written a book unlike any other expose of Scientology.

The Church of Fear: Inside the Weird World of Scientology

Tom Cruise and John Travolta say the Church of Scientology is a force for good. Others disagree. Award-winning journalist John Sweeney investigated the Church for more than half a decade. During that time he was intimidated, spied on, and followed, and the results were spectacular: Sweeney lost his temper with the Church's spokesman on camera, and his infamous 'exploding tomato' clip was seen by millions around the world.

Jenna Miscavige Hill, niece of Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige, was raised as a Scientologist but left the controversial religion in 2005. In Beyond Belief, she shares her true story of life inside the upper ranks of the sect, details her experiences as a member Sea Org - the church's highest ministry - speaks of her "disconnection" from family outside of the organization, and tells the story of her ultimate escape.

Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion

Scientology, created in 1954 by a prolific sci-fi writer named L. Ron Hubbard, claims to be the world's fastest-growing religion, with millions of members around the world and huge financial holdings. Its celebrity believers keep its profile high, and its teams of "volunteer ministers" offer aid at disaster sites such as Haiti and the World Trade Center. But Scientology is also a notably closed faith, harassing journalists and others through litigation and intimidation, even infiltrating the highest levels of government to further its goals.

The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion

Scientology is one of the wealthiest and most powerful new religions to emerge in the past century. To its detractors, L. Ron Hubbard's space-age mysticism is a moneymaking scam and sinister brainwashing cult. But to its adherents, it is humanity's brightest hope. Few religious movements have been subject to public scrutiny like Scientology, yet much of what is written about the church is sensationalist and inaccurate.

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief

A clear-sighted revelation, a deep penetration into the world of Scientology by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the The Looming Tower, the now-classic study of al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attack. Based on more than 200 personal interviews with both current and former Scientologists - both famous and less well known - and years of archival research, Lawrence Wright uses his extraordinary investigative ability to uncover for us the inner workings of the Church of Scientology.

Before He Wakes: A True Story of Money, Marriage, Sex and Murder

The true story of Barbara Stager, a devoted mother, loving wife, and dedicated church leader who committed an almost perfect crime. By all accounts, Stager seemed to lead the perfect life in her community in Durham, North Carolina. After her husband, popular high school coach Russ, died tragically, the police were inclined to believe her story - that she accidentally shot him. Suspicions rose when the police discovered that Stager's previous husband had died similarly 10 years prior.

Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the People's Temple

Told by a former high-level member of the Peoples Temple and Jonestown survivor, Seductive Poison is the "truly unforgettable" (Kirkus Review) story of how one woman was seduced by one of the most notorious cults in recent memory and how she found her way back to sanity.

Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought: The Theory & Practice of Scientology for Beginners

For thousands of years Man has searched, pondered, and speculated about the true "meaning of life". But in Scientology, that search has culminated - for the secret has now been discovered. Based on precision Axioms (self-evident truths), these are the answers - answers you've been looking for, answers that work.

Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story: a Beautiful Photographer, Her Mormon Lover, and a Brutal Murder

Travis Alexander was a handsome, hard-working, practicing Mormon who lived in Mesa, Arizona. His good looks and easygoing manner made him popular with everyone, especially the ladies. So when he was found with a bullet wound in the face and his throat slashed, the brutal murder sent shock waves throughout his community. Who could have done something so sinister? But soon a suspect was singled out-Jodi Arias. A beautiful, aspiring photographer, Jodi had been in a long-distance relationship with Travis the year before.

Banished: Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Church

You've likely heard of the Westboro Baptist Church. Perhaps you've seen their pickets on the news, the members holding signs with messages that are too offensive to copy here, protesting at events such as the funerals of soldiers, the 9-year old victim of the recent Tucson shooting, and Elizabeth Edwards, all in front of their grieving families. Since no organized religion will claim affiliation with the WBC, it's perhaps more accurate to think of them as a cult. Lauren Drain was thrust into that cult at the age of 15, and then spat back out again seven years later.

A Queer and Pleasant Danger: A Memoir

Kate Bornstein - gender theorist, performance artist, author - is set to change lives with her compelling memoir. Wickedly funny and disarmingly honest, this is Bornstein's most intimate book yet, encompassing her early childhood and adolescence, college at Brown, a life in the theater, three marriages and fatherhood, the Scientology hierarchy, transsexual life, LGBTQ politics, and life on the road as a sought-after speaker.

Deadly Lessons

Tells of the seductress, the student, and a murder in New England. The perfect life of newlyweds, Pam and Gregg Smart, was shattered in 1990 when Gregg was shot dead. In the trial, it emerged that Pam had seduced 15-year-old Bill Flynn to do the killing.

Always seeking to be an obedient Priesthood girl, in her teens Rebecca Musser became the nineteenth wife of her people's prophet: 85-year-old Rulon Jeffs. Finally sickened by the abuse she suffered and saw around her, she pulled off a daring escape and sought to build a new life and family.

Prophet's Prey: My Seven-Year Investigation into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints

Despite considerable press coverage and a lengthy trial, the full story of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints has remained largely untold. Only one man can reveal the whole, astounding truth: Sam Brower, the private investigator who devoted years of his life to breaking open the secret practices of the FLDS and bringing Warren Jeffs and his inner circle to justice.

Lost Boy

In the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), girls can become valuable property as plural wives, but boys are expendable, even a liability. In this powerful and heartbreaking account, former FLDS member Brent Jeffs reveals both the terror and the love he experienced growing up on his prophet's compound and the harsh exile existence that so many boys face once they have been expelled by the sect.

Escape

When she was 18 years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger - a man 32 years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolyn's heritage: She was born into and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church.

Doc: The Rape of the Town of Lovell

For twenty-five years, the trusted family doctor in a small Wyoming town had been raping and molesting the women and children who most relied on him. Mostly Mormons, the naive victims sometimes realized on their wedding nights the truth about what had happened in Dr. Story's office.

Publisher's Summary

A former top insider reveals the nightmare world of violence and abuse at the highest levels of the Church of Scientology. One review states: "At home alone, a 14 year old girl takes a phone call from Scientology. This starts a quarter of a century journey of manipulation, betrayal and sexual, physical and mental abuse. This journey leads to the highest management echelon and one woman's courage to break free. A real page-turner." - Mark P. Another writes: "Amy Scobee has written a book unlike any other expose of Scientology. She actually was at the top of International Management for 20 years, and oversaw the recruitment of Hollywood stars into the Church of Scientology. She witnessed the abuse of top managers by their senior, David Miscavige. She writes convincingly of the human rights violations she endured while on the Rehabilitation Project Force, a thinly disguised slave labor camp. Her book is enjoyable to insiders and laymen alike, with a glossary of terms provided, and plentiful footnotes. This is an important contribution to understanding the controversy surrounding the Church of Scientology. The glaring spotlight eventually points to Abuse at the Top." - Michael H.

Although I appreciate the inside information and the details of the struggles Amy Scobee went through and I really did want to enjoy this book, I could not get past the narrator. She actually mispronounced 'corps' as 'corpse'! She butchered the English language repeatedly and her phrasing was off by a mile. She also made everything sarcastic - I mean everything. It became very hard to listen to since I started to listen for mistakes instead of getting lost in the book.

Yes, but I'd urge them to wear a mouth-guard because teeth gnashing over the narration is inevitable.

Would you be willing to try another book from Amy Scobee? Why or why not?

Yes.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Danielle Plaso?

Anyone who knows the word is SUPPOSEDLY, with a D, not "supposaBly." What is humorous is that the first time she says "supposably" is just after someone accuses the protagonist of being illiterate. It's the narrator's literacy skills I question. I can't believe no one else caught this and the audio book went on sale like this.

The book was a fine "inside story". The writing however was hard to read- not because it was difficult but because it was so simple, full of sarcastic comments and name-calling. It was frustrating because the antics took away from the compelling story of the abuse at the hands of Scientology.

Would you be willing to try another book from Amy Scobee? Why or why not?

No. I think she has told her story as best she can

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Danielle Plaso?

Anyone who can read a sentance without having to sound out each syllable.

The reader is annoying to the point of major distraction. I am normally accepting of the occasional error, but this is too much to ignore. I have heard Scobee speak, and this reader does her work and her story a disservice. Words are frequently mispronounced. Additionally, the reader often makes emphases that skew the meaning of a passage or are in the tone of a sarcastic and immature narrator. I hold Audible responsible for making sure that the quality of the reading is high in the books it sells. After all, that is the reason for buying from Audible. Hire someone else to read the book. Scobee would likely be the best choice.

Would you be willing to try another one of Danielle Plaso’s performances?

Absolutely not until she is carefully trained and supervised.

Any additional comments?

Scobee's story, like those of many other documented accounts, makes me disgusted that such an organization gets away with human rights abuses and is able to get the rest of us to subsidize their money-making schemes by allowing them tax-exempt status.

I might read another Any Scobee book, but I most certainly would NOT listen to another narration from Danielle Plaso. Her narration makes it very hard to even follow the story. She butchers very syllable. I do not understand why she was chosen to read this, or any other book, to an audience. Her narration is cringe-worthy!

Would you be willing to try another book from Amy Scobee? Why or why not?

Yes. If it is about scientology.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Danielle Plaso?

An older voice. This voice sounds very young. It doesn't suit the subject matter. It is read like a teen novel, which is very surreal. Emphases are very strange. I had to go back and listen to some sentences again to understand.

Any additional comments?

Audio quality is very poor and the quality changes a lot. Later recordings are edited in..quite sloppy. "Notes" are recorded with a different microphone...sounds like an old fashioned phone microphone...quite annoying and I don't get the point...

Would you consider the audio edition of Scientology: Abuse at the Top to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version. Although I'm not sure that this book differs much from the written text.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The book is told in 1st person so you follow her experiences.

What three words best describe Danielle Plaso’s voice?

Milena Markovna Kunis

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I follow the LRH legend like some people follow "Dexter" (and I follow him for the same reasons). This, like the Jenna Miscavige book follows a specific slice of time describing experiences of the author. If you want a fantastic overview look for Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief. But if, like me, you want to drill down into experiences in the SO check out this one and Jenna's book.

Any additional comments?

The reader seems to have some difficulty with reading the text...maybe it's just under rehearsed. But lots of amateur emphasis, rhythm and pronunciation inconsistency.

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